Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP lawmaker sparks row with rape remark

Bengaluru, Oct 17 (IANS) Karnataka’s BJP lawmaker K.S. Eshwarappa on Saturday sparked a controversy with his remarks on rape incidents in the state. He later said his remarks had been taken out of context but expressed regret if he had hurt or offended anyone.

Replying to a query on why his Bharatiya Janata Party was silent on the heinous crime being perpetrated even on minor girls in the state, he asked a local news channel journalist what he could do if someone abducted and raped her.

“You are a woman and here now. If someone drags you and rapes you, what can we do as we (opposition people) would be somewhere else,” Eshwarappa retorted on the margins of an event at Ramanagara, about 50 km from here.

The former deputy chief minister in the BJP government is currently the leader of opposition in the legislative council.

Taking objection to Eshwarappa’s offensive remarks, television and print media journalists complained to the party’s leaders, including former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who decried and said the remark was not in good taste.

When a section of the outraged media complained to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he played down the issue, saying: “When he (Eshwarappa) spoke seriously, he always speaks lightly.”

Asked why the BJP was not holding the Congress government responsible for such crimes, Eshwarappa had retorted: “You tell me what we need to do. We will do it. We have criticised the government in the house when a six-year-old girl was sexually abused in the city last year.”

When his remarks were condemned by political leaders, social activists and women groups, a rattled Eshwarappa hastened to clarify that his comments were twisted out of context.

“I have highest respect for women and consider them as sisters and girls as daughters. My reply has been distorted, as I was expressing their plight in anguish due to weak law and order in the state,” he said.

Expressing regret if his remarks had hurt the journalist and offended women, Eshwarappa said he was only trying to highlight the deteriorating law and order situation in the state where anyone could be raped anywhere.

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India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has urged politicians to work together to protect women, in his first comments on the issue since the horrific gang-rape and lynching of two girls in UP.

Modi warned lawmakers against “politicising rape”, saying they were “playing with the dignity of women” in his first speech to parliament since sweeping to power at last month’s elections.

Modi singled out the rape and murder of the two girls in Uttar Pradesh, where a political row has erupted as anger mounts over the state government’s handling of the attacks and called for President rule.When ‘Nirbhaya’ was raped in Delhi they blamed ‘Sheila Dixit ‘ government for not protecting women and politics women dignity in vote bank politics.

Sadly know the former Chief Minister of Karnataka in debut BJP government express helplessness to protect dignity of women by distancing themselves, which Modi’s India wanted to connect by ‘Digital India’.This is the same government assembly elected members of the ruling party found watching ‘Porn’ in the sanctity of house. It is the same Modi government said the “Girl Rising” campaign in India should focus especially on the problem of female foeticide, and lifted porn ban after debate on censorship and upheld individual freedom.

They are spreading ACUTE lies. While Christian missionaries are well known to spread lies and fraudulent “cures”, these people have gone one step ahead. Ishwari Prasad of VHP is teaching young Indian girls that in Islam it is required to cut and eat up women when food is scarce. And the girls are stupid enough to believe it and not ask for proof.

The good news is that with documentaries like this, Modi is well on the way to becoming an international pariah – that he deserves to be. It would be hard for any Western leader to watch this movie and retain any convivial feelings towards Modi.